4th Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment

I can place this Battalion in the vicinity of Alexandria when the Italians declared war on June 10th 1940, but who can tell me when it first arrived in the Western desert?

 

Here is an account of the early war days of the 4th Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment:


4th Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment

11th Indian Infantry Brigade – 3 September 1939 to January 1941
The battalion sailed from Bombay on August 2nd, 1939 and arrived at Suez on August 16th. It moved to Fayid Camp in Egypt on the Bitter Lakes under the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade on arrival. The brigade left Fayid Camp on September 30th, 1939 and concentrated at Mena Camp on October 4th, 1939 with the arrival of the 4th Indian Infantry Division. The battalion moved to Maaten Baggush (Baqqush) on May 7th, 1940 and it was relieved by elements of the 16th British Infantry Brigade on June 10th, 1940 and moved to Daba for LOC duties. In mid-July 1940, it moved to Burg-el-Arab, near Alexandria under the brigade. It moved to Naghamish in early September 1940 with the division. It moved to Baggush on September 14th, but returned to Naghamish on October 10th. The battalion moved forward on November 16th, 1940 to protect a forward dump area, but returned to Naghamish on November 21st. The brigade fought at Sidi Barrani from December 9th-11th, 1940 and was involved in the attack on Nibeiwa. After the battle, the division remained in the battle area until December 16th, when it was ordered to the Sudan. When the 11th Brigade moved to the Sudan at the start of January 1941, the battalion left the brigade and remained in Egypt, moving to Qassassin.

 

That's great! Thank you.

Could I trouble you to catalogue it's movements (geographical) up until October 1942.
Thanks in advance, David.

 

Here is the 4th/7th Rajputs up until it left for India:


British Troops in Egypt (BTE) – January 1941 to 15 October 1941
The battalion moved to perform garrison duties at Port Said in February 1941. It relieved the Cape Town Highlanders of duties at Moascar on April 22nd, 1941, while still based at Port Said. The 1st/5th Essex Regiment at Port Said relieved the 4/7th Rajputs on October 13th, 1941.

161st British Infantry Brigade – 15 October 1941 to
After relieve, the battalion then moved to Sidi Haneish, Egypt on October 15th, 1941, where it joined the 161st British Infantry Brigade. It then left for Cyprus on November 1st, 1941 with the brigade.

161st Indian Infantry Brigade – 26 November 1941 to
The brigade was renamed the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade on November 26th, 1941 on Cyprus. It remained on Cyprus with the brigade until the end of March 1942, serving at the airport in Nicosia in the northwest area. At the end of March, the brigade left Cyprus for Egypt.

GHQ Middle East Force – Early April 1942 to 24 April 1942
On arrival in Egypt, the battalion left the brigade and came under command of GHQ MEF Reserve in early April. It left Port Tewfik for the Sudan on April 24th, 1942.

Troops Sudan – 24 April 1942 to 6 July 1942
The 4th Battalion arrived at Port Sudan on the April 24th. It then entrained for Atbara on April 30th and moved to Wadi Halfa on May 1st, 1942 for garrison duties in the Sudan. It left the Sudan on July 6th, 1942 for Egypt.

British Troops in Egypt (BTE) – 16 July 1942 to 17 August 1942
The battalion arrived at El Sholal on July 16th, 1942. It moved into Mena Camp, Giza on July 17th and came under command of ‘Delta Force.’

18th Indian Infantry Brigade – 17 August 1942 to 23 August 1942
It moved to Wadi Natrun on August 17th, 1942 and came under command of the 18th Indian Infantry Brigade for a brief period.

161st Indian Infantry Brigade – 23 August 1942 to 31 August 1945
It rejoined the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade in Egypt on August 23rd, 1942, on Ruweisat Ridge, and the battalion remained with the brigade there until November 7th, 1942, when the brigade withdrew. It moved to Iraq with the brigade in mid-November 1942 to guard the oil pipelines. It was spread out in small detachments until mid-February 1943, when the brigade concentrated at Baghdad. The brigade moved to the Latafiya area on March 3rd, 1943. The battalion sailed for India with the brigade and arrived at Bombay on June 6th, 1943.

 

Perfect. Thank you.

 

The name would be Rajput Regiment

 

Did they always shorten it?

 

The Rajput regiment & The Rajputana Rifles were (& are) two separate regiments drawing Rajput soldiers from different parts of India.

 

Gosh! I did not know that.

What is the full and correct name of the 4/7 Battalion about which this topic is concerned please?

Thanks in advance,
David.

 

The 'denominator' denotes the regiment:

7th Rajput Regiment

6th Rajputana Rifles (Raj Rifs)

 

Hi Idler.

I understand that. So what is the full and correct name for the 4th Battalion of the 7th Regiment of the unit discussed here?

Regards,
David.

 

Not quite, it would be 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment.
Having both a regimental number and name is a little redundant, but that's how it was done. Some battalions of some regiments also had honorific 'sub'-titles from their parent units to further confuse the issue.

 

Of course, the regimental numbers were a bit more critical for the otherwise undifferentiated Punjab Regiments: 1st, 2nd, 14th, 15th and 16th (apologies if there are any errors in that bit).

 

Thanks. I shall amend my records accordingly.

 

So is this correct? 4th (Outram's) Battalion 6th Rajputana Regiment. Or are they also Rajput?

 

Thanks.

How about 1st Battalion (Wellesleys) 6th Rajputana Regiment?

Regards,
David.

 

Nope - the Xth/6th will always be Rajputana Rifles.

 

Thanks again.

One more....3rd Battalion (Duke of Connaught's Own) 7th Rajputana Regiment